ibol, it would be nice to have something interesting to do with data... except I wouldn't think it would make sense for the current data, which seems mostly to be from exploring space and planets and caves, to result in crafting improvements. Maybe if there were different types of data.

Also, while it makes some sense to be paid to contribute data and be paid for it once, it doesn't make sense that selling data to someone would reduce how useful that same data might have been if you used it to help you craft, because data is inherently copyable, so sharing with the Bank or the Gruff or whoever, would not mean you didn't still have copies of any data you had which would be useful to help craft things.

Which is a long way of saying, it seems to me that if data is usable for more things, maybe there should be different types of data - mapping data vs. terminal data and combat data.

By the way, slightly offtop: I hired an officer with Science skill something about "greatly increasing the amount of data collecting" from various types of objects (anomalies, computer terminals and so on). So the question is: should this officer be in away team to "greatly increase" data amount from objects that awat team can meet?

If it's something that you collect during your excursions to the surface, then yes. All the effects you get from your officers that apply to stuff on away missions only work when the officers who give that are present; anyone who had an officer with the skill that heals the away team can tell you that much because it's easy to see when it works and when it doesn't.